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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27648841">Red Mari Mayhem</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheCuriousCat/pseuds/TheCuriousCat'>TheCuriousCat</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Green Lantern - All Media Types, Miraculous Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>BAMF Hal Jordan, Badass Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, F/M, Hurt Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Marinette Dupain-Cheng Finds Out First, Marinette Dupain-Cheng Is Over Adrien Agreste, Marinette Dupain-Cheng Is a Savage, Marinette Dupain-Cheng Knows, Marinette Dupain-Cheng becomes a red lantern, Marinette Dupain-Cheng gets REALLY man, Marinette Dupain-Cheng gets mad, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Deserves Better, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Has No Chill, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Has a Plan, Protective Hal Jordan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-05-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 05:41:54</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,499</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27648841</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheCuriousCat/pseuds/TheCuriousCat</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Dex-Starr likes his new human for many reasons: She's kind, she doesn't yell at him or attack him when he brings her presents (This city has such a bug problem), she's also very good at belly rubs. But that's not why he's here, that's not why she's HIS human. Dex-Starr's favorite thing about Marinette Dupain-Cheng is the burn of her rage crashing around just under her skin like a volcano on the edge of explosion.</p><p>He can't wait to see her drown Paris in the fiery seas of hell for all that it's done to her.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Marinette Dupain-Cheng &amp; Dex-Starr</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>552</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>669</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I've decided to stop pretending that I have will power, I'm just going post all of my Ideas and update them when I can.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Marinette is embarrassed and angry with everything that is happening, usually an opportunity like this would have her over the moon but Lila's here. Lila and her little gang as well as their incompetent teacher. Where is 'here' you may ask. 'Here' is an therapy animal center. Her class was the most Akumatized class in Paris, hell, the people in her class were the most Akumatized <strong>people</strong> in Paris. In response to this the mayor had sent them to a therapist (Only once though, too expensive) who suggested that therapy animals might help. It was originally going to be one pet that would go home with the stupid teacher but Chloe threw a fit about sharing and suddenly her parents were being informed it was highly suggested <strike>outright told</strike> that she go on the new class trip to get one. They had been furious at being told to break their 'No Pet' policy but conceded after they watched her have a panic attack at the sight of an Akuma flying past.</p><p>Lila, in line with trying to make Marinette's life a living hell, was already sobbing about being scared for whatever animal she ended up with. "... Know I should have told you guys before about how I saw Marinette kicking Jagged Stone's kitten but I didn't want..." Marinette feels the flare of white hot rage she usually feels whenever Lila opens her mouth before she carefully scoops it up and places it in the mental chest she has in her mind, by now the wood is scorched and the metal fastenings constantly glow red from the heat but as long as it stays shut she'll live with it. </p><p>Marinette focuses back in as the pet trainer enters the waiting room. "Hello and welcome, the animals are already waiting for you if you'll follow me" He motions for them to follow him as he walks back out of the room. Marinette makes sure to walk in the front so that none of them can try to bar her from the entrance. She concentrates on the small lecture the worker is giving and not on the many times her name is whispered from the group of teens behind her, all of the will power in the world cannot keep her attention on him as the cross the threshold. Her eyes go wide with wonder as she looks over all of the cute animals, the whispering behind her stops as well. "Welcome to the playroom kids."</p><p>The spell is broken and she's shoved this way and that by her 'classmates' as they rush past her, Lila sends a kick to the back of her leg as she goes making Marinette crash to the ground. This doesn't matter to her, she's too busy trying to fight the blinding anger pulsing from behind her eyelids. Tikki is pressing against her legs in desperation but it's not helping anymore, hasn't since they had both gotten in that fight about Marinette taking guardianship of the miraculous box. It hurts how much it burns, the mental chest is on the verge of exploding as well which <strong>does not help!</strong> She's spiraling, she knows that she is. Hawkmoth is going to turn her into an Akuma  and she's going to explode and burn this pet center to the ground and set Lila on fire and laugh and cry and scream and... is that purring? Marinette blinks and sees a cat sitting in front of her, it has big yellow eyes and soft looking blue/black fur. On the tail at swishes back and forth she sees a red ring. Before she can think on it the cat leans forward with a rumbling purr and rubs it's face on hers, she lets out a weak little chuckle and pets it. The purring grows and the cat climbs into her lap, it rolls over for belly rubs (which she immediately obliges in much to it's apparent joy) and finds that it's a boy.</p><p>She stays like that for an hour, sitting on the floor in front of the rooms entrance while her 'classmates'  run around and Tikki trembles in her purse. It's ruined by Lila but she's not surprised, everything is ruined by Lila but this time... this time she apparently has an ally.</p><p>"Hey, Maritrash. What have you got there?" Marinette stiffens slightly and looks up, standing before her are Lila, Alya, Nino and Adrien. She feels the bubbles of hate resurfacing, her cat friend purrs and snuggles into her stomach.</p><p>"A cat, I would think that you would know what they look like since you <em>rescued Jagged Stone's kitten.</em>" The amount of sarcasm that drenches her words wasn't planned and she can tell that Tikki is disappointed with her but she doesn't care, she's so sick of caring.</p><p>Alya's face goes red as the fox kit (Of fucking course, bitch can't let anything go can she.) in her arms shrinks. "Girl! What the fuck is wrong with you. Lila got really injured doing that and it's legit sick that you would use that against her!" This, of course, gains the attention of the three employees mulling around the room. They take one look at her and freeze, one even drops her clip board. He new cat friend has stopped purring and she swears that she can feel him warming up.</p><p>"I'm tired Alya, fuck off." She says as she turns back to her cat friend, trying to get him to purr again, Alya snarls at her in rage and swings her leg forward to kick her in the face. Her leg doesn't even make it near her as he cat friend hisses viciously and launches himself from her lab and into Alya's face. Marinette can only watch in shock as Alya screams and tries to pull him off of her. Marinette's quick refluxes are the only thing that stops the poor fox kit from hitting the floor. While Alya screams and cries she pets the fox kit a few times then lets it run back  to where ever it came from.</p><p>"DEX-STARR! STOP!" One of the workers shouts as she comes over with a taser, this snaps Marinette out of her shock. She jumps up and puts herself between the worker and Dex-Starr.</p><p>"Dex-Starr, that's enough." She says softly, to the shock of everyone in the room he listens. Disloaging himself from Alya's torn face and jumping into her arms leaving bloody paw prints on her shirt with a loud rumbling purr. She scratches his head as Alya sobs making him purr louder. She doesn't spot the Akuma until Dex-Starr leaps from her arms and snatches it from the air, he rips it in half the drops it at her feet with a proud look that makes her laugh for the first time in months. "Where do I sign to adopt him?" she asks the worker that brought them in, he looks terrified as he leads her to the paperwork corner. Marinette can feel the air around her change as her life takes this new turn but it just...</p><p>
  <strong>It feels right.</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Marinette loves her parents and she knows that they love her it's just... they don't know her. They have this image in their minds of who they think she is. </p><p>'Oh, Marinette helped an old man in the shop today. She's so kind!' <br/>'Oh, Marinette fell asleep at her desk. She's so hard working!' <br/>'Oh, Marinette talked to someone her own age. She must have so many friends!' <br/>'Oh Marinette, oh Marinette. Our perfect daughter!'</p><p>They don't know a lot needless to say. That old man was Master Fu coming to bug her about being the guardian. The times she's fallen asleep at her desk are from franticly doing her homework after akuma battles. The person talking to her was Lila and it was lest talking and more threatening. This is not the point, the point is that her parents had this image of her the was apparently so fragile that it crumbled at the first word from someone else (Wanna guess who? Go on, I'll wait.)</p><p>"Marinette, is this true?" Her papa asks while Lila sobs next to her mama. She raises an eyebrow as Dex-Starr curls up in her lap, a gently purr the grows and shrinks with the waves of her rage.</p><p>"Which part? The bit where I apparently attacked her in an alley? The part where she seems to think that I robed her? Or maybe your talking about the fact that she's accusing me of design theft going back to before she was even in Paris?!" Her temper rises at the last one so much that Dex-Starr is forced to kill three akumas. Lila and her parents flitch at the slaughter of each on, she keeps her face dead until her cat friend is back on her lap and dropping the akuma remains onto her desk before she turns to Lila. "The last accusation I will be suing you over by the way, just so you know." She keeps her voice light and fluffy as Lila pales and cries harder.</p><p>"Marinette! I am so disappointed in you! I didn't raise you to be cruel." Her mama says.</p><p>"I can't believe you would threaten one of your friends like that Marinette. This isn't the girl I remember." Her papa says.</p><p>"I...I'm sorry! Please don't hurt me again. I... I won't say anything to anyone...I just want my designs back, I wanted to make something for Alya so that she had something nice when she got out of the hospital after your cat attacked her." Lila says.</p><p>"Marinette! How could you!" Her mama cries.</p><p>"I want that cat gone Marinette!" Her papa yells.</p><p>"Please don't be mad!" Lila sobs.</p><p>... Marinette watches them yell, watches Lila poorly hiding her smile, watches as Tikki gives her disapproving looks from her bed. She watches all of this and makes a decision. She scoops all of her emotions up and shoves them into her mental chest that now exudes steam so hot that even getting near it to deposit her emotions hurts her. Once she's done with that she picks Dex-Starr up and deposits him on her bed (she could put him anywhere but Tikki is scared of him and she's feeling petty) then she turns on her three unwanted guests.</p><p>"One. I'm suing Lila for everything she's worth, for this and everything else. Nothing you say is  going to stop me so I stop trying. Two for you to be disappointed in me you would have to know me, which you clearly don't if you believe a fucking word of this bullshit." Her papa gets an angry look and opens his mouth but she cuts him off, she's done listening to him. "Three. You didn't raise me, I raised myself so go fuck yourself. Four. If you continue to accuse me of attacking you then I might as well do it  because I'm sure as fuck not going down for something I didn't do. Everyone understand? Good, Now I'd like you to see Miss Rossi out of my fucking room Mr Dupain, Miss Cheng." </p><p>She feels a sick pleasure curling in her gut at the looks of hurt on her parents faces as well as the look of shocked fear on Lila's. They scramble out of her room faster than if she set them alight. The room is quite (If you ignored Dex-Starr's loud purring which she'd never do.) for a few moments before Tikki comes out looking apprehensive.</p><p>"Marinette, can I talk to you? Privately I mean."</p><p>She blinks in confusion. "Tikki, we are alone."</p><p>"No, I mean without Dex-Starr." He lets out a low hiss from his place on her bed making Tikki flinch.</p><p>"Tikki, he's just a cat. I'm not kicking him out because he likes to pounce on you." Tikki puffs up in anger, oh dear. Here we go.</p><p>"He kills all of the akumas!" They cry out like it's important.</p><p>"Do you want me to be akumatised?" She asks because at this point she's curious.</p><p>"No! But we're supposed to be purifying them!" They say with a angry growl</p><p>"He's a <em><strong>cat</strong></em> Tikki, they like attacking flying bugs. It's not his fault." She says as she tries to reason with the little god.</p><p>"He attacks me all the time!"  They cry out again.</p><p>"You know that he's playing with you, plus you just phase through him anyway." She says with a roll of her eyes, Dex-Starr comes down from her bed and winds his way around her ankles. It's very cute.</p><p>"He's not playing! He's a monster!" They hiss angrily regaining her attention.</p><p>"Tikki!" She yells.</p><p>"And he's corrupting you!" They continue as if they didn't even hear her warning.</p><p>"Really?" The sarcasm pratingly drips from her words.</p><p>"He's rewarding your anger!" </p><p>"You mean when he purrs to <strong>distract me</strong>?! Like he was<strong> trained too</strong>! Because he's a <strong>therapy cat and that's <em>his job</em>!</strong>" She snarls, Dex-Starr can't seem to decided between purring at her or hissing furiously at Tikki. He picks her because he's sweet like that.</p><p>"You were better before you met him!"</p><p>"I was a doormat on the very edge of being akumatised Tikki, my life was a fucking disaster. I'm not saying it's not now but Dex-Starr fucking helps!"</p><p>"You're saying that like I don't!"</p><p>"Because it's true! You just sit there and judge me!"</p><p>They are both silent for a moment before Tikki goes stone faced. "I want you to get rid of him." Tikki says, anger and disappointment dripping from her voice.</p><p>"...What?" She whispers, even Dex-Starr freezes and watches Tikki in shock.</p><p>"I refuse to be in the same place as that... that <strong>thing!</strong> It's him or me Marinette. I'm sorry but you can't have both."</p><p>She's shocked by Tikki's words for a moment before the flicker of familiar angry fire licks at her insides. "Fine." Dex-Starr shoots her a betrayed look at the same time that Tikki shoots her a triumphant one. Neither of them are apparently expecting her to pick Dex-Starr, the look of shock on their faces when she pulls out the first ear. Now Dex-Starr looks smug and Tikki looks panicked, Tikki uses both her paws to keep the second earring in so Marinette rips it out. It hurts like hell and she can feel the blood dribbling down her neck but Tikki and all of their disappointment are gone so Marinette feels pretty good about herself. She tosses the bloody earrings into their box and turns to Dex-Starr, she opens her arms to him. "Hey buddy, wanna go on an adventure?" Dex-Starr purrs like a car engine as he jumps into her arms. She walks down stairs and passed her parents, her papa tries to grab her but Dex-Starr swipes at him. She hears his shout of pain as the front door shuts. "Good kitty." He purrs louder.</p><p>The trek to Master Fu's shop is a long but familiar one, she spends the time petting her cat friend and over thinking everything that has happened during the week she's had Dex-Starr... she finds that Tikki may be slightly right about her cat friend. Dex-Starr is a lot smarter than a cat should be and he does encourage her anger just as much as he distracts her from it. It doesn't matter, he was fine with co-existing with Tikki. Tikki was the one who threw the fit about it.</p><p>She opens the door and finds Master Fu talking with Adrien, great. At Adrien's feet is dog, it sees Dex-Starr and backs away with a whimper. She ignores everything and hands Master Fu Tikki's box. "I'm sorry Master Fu but I find that I can no longer be the holder of the Ladybug. I'm sure you'll find someone else." She makes sure to smile pleasantly at his shocked horror then spins on her heel and leaves. Both Adrien and master Fu shout for her but she ignores him, a weight has been lifted from her shoulders. "So Dex-Starr, what do you say to a bit of exploring?" He purrs and nuzzles her face, she'll take that as a yes.</p><p>She goes all out, they visit fancy restaurants that make Dex-Starr fancy dishes he can eat. They go to a human/pet salon where they get the works done. André makes a cat safe ice-cream. It's not that she has a lot of money, it's just feels like she doesn't have a lot of time left. She can't put her finger on it and it bugs her until she gets home, she ignores her parents as she heads up to her room... oh... oh. Her room is trashed, her sketch books filled with designs as well as the actual half finished designs are gone... everything is gone. </p><p>There is a cracking sound in her head as she sees the note left on her desk.</p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <strong>'Sue this Maritrash.'</strong>
  </span>
</p><p>Another crack as she spots the heel sticking out of her computer screen. The groaning of metal under extreme distress as she notices the shredded remains of her closet. The pain of splintering wood as she steps forward and activates a trip wire and gets sticky red stuff dropped onto her head. Dex-Starr looks like a tiny ball of pure rage but she feels nothing as she turns on her heel and walks to the shower. She sits under the the hot spray as she tries to stop her mental chest from exploding then she goes back to her room and searches her dresser for something, anything to wear. She finds a discarded <a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/779685754232195451/">outfit</a> as well as some 'joke gift' <a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/310115124338295471/">heels</a> hiding under some of her ruined clothes and puts it on then she walks back out.</p><p>Dex-Starr is waiting for her, sitting silently on her desk as a red ring identical to the one on his tail floats in front of him. "Your not a normal cat are you?" He shakes his head before he head buts the floating ring towards her, she could fight this. She's only just got rid of her last set of magical jewelry... but as it gets closer she can feel it singing to her rage as well as her rage singing back. She's given everything that she is and it still wasn't enough, maybe... maybe it's time to fight for herself instead of others. She holds out her hand and lets the ring slip over her finger.</p><p>The chest inside her mind explodes and her world is filled with unending <strong>rage.</strong></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Fire rushes through her veins as the world turns to shades of red, is this what being an akuma feels like? The power, the freedom, the lack for care for anything but revenge? She sees why Lila likes this so much. A thump on her rooftop balcony draws her attention, her lungs start filling with burning liquid as each step she makes towards the trap door leave burning marks in her floor. Several things crunch under her now red heels but they don't matter, nothing does.  Dex-Starr flies up and purrs like a show car engine... okay, maybe one thing matters.</p><p>The first cooling breeze  weaves it's way through her let down hair as she watches Chat Noir de-transform into Adrien 'Take the high road' Agreste. It's quite clear he hasn't noticed her, or he did and he thinks the power of love or some other shit is going to 'wake her up'. Idiot.</p><p>By the look on his face it's the first option. "M...Marinette?"</p><p>"Mayhem, my name is Mayhem." She says as she lets Dex-Starr jump onto the  floor, Plagg hisses at him and he puffs up and hisses back louder.</p><p>"Oh god, I knew something was wrong M'lady. You would never willingly abandon Paris. Don't worry Princess, I'm going to fix this." He says.</p><p>"<em>Oh, you think your all that? I'M DESTRUCTION! I'M CHAOS! You've got nothing on me you little fleabag so back the fuck away from Tikki's bug.</em>" Plagg hisses at Dex-Starr off to the side.</p><p>Mayhem smiles and walks towards him while making sure to roll  her hips, these skin-tight red jeans make her ass look great. He sure seems to think so with how lost he gets. Rookie mistake. "You're going to make me all better?" she asks in a purr as she hooks her fingers under his chin making him swallow. "Gonna get the akuma and break the spell? Save the day so I fall into your arms?" She has him pinned to a wall close to where Plagg and Dex-Starr are now fighting. "There is just one. Little. Problem." She smiles even as the hurt anger rages around her chest like a burning tornado. "I'm not an akuma Adrien and your out of time." He blinks as she lets him go and steps back, right out of the way of the lava ball Dex-Starr just launched at his hand. Both him and Plagg scream in pain as the miraculous on his hand melts with the burning liquid,  she ignores the ponding of footsteps under her as she crouches in front of him. </p><p>"YOU FUCKING LITTLE SHIT! I'LL KILL YOU!" He roars at Dex-Starr which adds to her anger.</p><p>"Oh don't be like that Adrien, Dex-Starr isn't hurting anyone. He's just a cat after all. Why don't you just <strong><em>take the high road.</em></strong>" He looks at her like she betrayed him by using his own words against him, in response she spews the lava building in her lungs onto his face and watches as only his bottom half slumps over. She hears a gasp from behind her and turns with a smile so bright they almost didn't see the red glow wrapping around her hands. "Mr Dupain, Miss Cheng! Wonderful, we need to have a <strong><em>chat.</em></strong>"</p><p>The burning bakery at her back fills her with warmth as she slowly flies towards her school, Dex-starr flies next to her sending lava fur balls out in random directions. It's so convenient that the school was just across the street, it would have been annoying to have to hunt her toys down. No one moves as she walks into the classroom which is annoying so she spews lava all over the room, that gets them to move. They run around screaming for Ladybug to save them, every call for the heroine of Paris makes her rage burn brighter. Soon she's not even using the fire in her soul so that she can rip them apart limb by limb. Lila, Alya and Chloe escape. </p><p>No, they aren't allowed to escape this. She shoots after them as she uses her new ring to create  a glowing battle axe. She gets so close to catching them but suddenly she's knocked out of the building with such force that she creates a crater in the ground. Her hands burn marks into the ground as she pulls herself out and snarls at the one who attached her... it's Ladybug, it's fucking <strong>Ladybug!</strong> She roars with anger as she launches herself at the imposter, how dare she, HOW DARE SHE! She swing her battle axe at the imposter with burning hatred. </p><p>"You really think you can take be Lila? I'd like to see you fucking try bitch." She snarls as the first of her swings hits. Lila/Ladybug screams as her yoyo arm is sliced in half from her elbow to the parting of her fingers. Mayhem suddenly finds herself surrounded by the entire  miraculous team... including Chat Noir. This bitch dares try to trick her?! "Come out where ever you are little fox. I won't hurt you promise." She says as she crushes Lila's throat under her heel. "I just want to <em>talk.</em>" A venom sting flies into her direction, she uses her dodging action to snap Lila's neck before spewing a stream of lava at her head. Tikki's screams of agony mix with Alya's cries of grief, giving her position away. "There you are!" Mayhem launches her battle axe at the girl and watches as it splits Trixx's miraculous in half as it buries it's self in Alya's chest.</p><p>"Y... you MONSTER!" Chloe screams in fear as Alya's body tips off the side of the building. Mayhem starts making her way over to the cowering girl before someone start shooting at her, she's quick to bring up a shield to protect herself. Just in time to watch Dex-Starr rip the entire police department to shreds. Chloe escapes while this is happening and before she can follow she's stopped by Malediktator. </p><p>"You are ordered to protect my daughter at all costs!" Malediktator shouts as he tries to take control of her, she dodges each of his attacks the beheads him when she's close enough.</p><p>Dex-Starr purrs as he winds his way around her legs. "Could you hunt down the preppy bitch for me while I melt a few gods?" She asks him, he gives her a louder purr and a face rub then he shoots off. He's such a good boy.</p><p>Jade Turtle meets her at the door. "Marinette, stop this madness!"</p><p>"My name is Mayhem and I'll stop when I'm dead." They launch themselves at each other at the same time but in the end she's fast and motivated by how much she hates him. It's extremely satisfying to stab the heel of her heels right through his skull, the kwami tremble as she steps into the studio with lava dribbling down her chin.</p><p>Mayhem meets Dex-Starr somewhere in down town Paris, he sits proudly on the back of Chloe's body. A puddle of lava where her head should be. "Such a good boy!" She purrs as she scratches under his chin. He closes his eyes in happiness before snarling as they are interrupted by Mayura.</p><p>"Where is Adrien Miss Dupain-Cheng." Mayhem tilts her head to the side as she stands.</p><p>"Dead, the first to fall actually. Does that hurt?" It clearly does with the way she stumbles backwards.</p><p>"You killed him?!" Roars Hawkmoth from top top of a building.</p><p>She tilts her head up then looks down at Dex-Starr. "Do you want the butterfly or the bird?" He pats his paw in the direction of Mayura. "Have fun." She says before she shoots off. </p><hr/><p>Paris is hell fire by the time she's done, the streets are rivers of lava and the buildings are ash. Mayhem still feels the eternal anger burning her insides but it has been dampened by the blood of her slaughter. This is why she ignores the need to attack the flying man in green as she sits atop the Eiffel Tower petting her cat friend.</p><p>"... You not going to attack me kid." The man asks after a moment as he just floats in front of her.</p><p>"Do you want me to?" She asks, he sags comically at her question and it sparks... amusement?</p><p>"God no, do you see this place? Plus, I just got back from fighting Yellow Lanterns. I'd prefer not to immediately start a fight with two Red Lanterns. On that note, can I sit? I'm dead tiered." She moves over, Dex-Starr hisses at the green man but she notes that there isn't any heat in it. "Hello to you too Dex, was wondering where you got too. Glad to know you made it off of Vophuetov okay." Dex-Starr bats at him with his paws before curling up on her lap for a nap. Once the man sits he holds out his hand to her. "Names Green Lantern of both the Green Lantern corps and the justice league. Who are you?"</p><p>Her somewhat good mood sours at the mention of the justice league but at this point she's also to tired to start a fight. "Mayhem." She shakes his hand then they sit in silence for a while.</p><p>"... So, what happened?" She turns towards Green Lantern questingly. "Don't take this the wrong way but you don't look like someone who drowns in rage for fun plus Dex-Starr likes you and he only really likes the Red Lanterns who are like him. Abused souls who couldn't take it anymore. So what happened?"</p><p>"... I'll tell you if you tell me what all these colored Lantern corps' are that you keep mentioning." He smiles brightly at her, it reminds her of the smile she used to make before Master Fu ruined it. So happy that it shines through your eyes.</p><p>"Deal!"</p><p>"It all started when I stopped this old man from being hit by a car four years ago..." She starts, as the words start to spill from her lips tears spill from her eyes. Dousing her burning rage in sadness. He holds her as she sobs out her story while whispering praise for how long she held on as well as reassurances that he would keep her safe.</p><p>In the end she falls asleep in his arms with Dex-Starr curled on her chest as he flies them away. She should be worried since he was sent to capture or kill her but she's not. For the first time in years she feels <strong>content.</strong></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Mayhem wakes up slowly in a bed she does't recognize, Dex-Starr sleeps soundly on the pillow next to her head. Her clothes are back to being black and her heels are off her feet and at the foot of the bed. Just beyond the closed door is a muffled voice of an adult male. It takes a few seconds for her mind to catch up to her, she decimated Paris, killed everyone in the city in increasingly violent ways. She runs through the faces she saw before she realizes that she doesn't have to worry. Luka and his sister Juleka where on tour with their father Jagged and his wife Penny in America. Kagami was also in America for the fencing world cup. They were safe.</p><p>The voice (Green Lantern she remembers) gets a bit louder and she get's curious so she pads over to the door and pushes it open slightly.</p><p>"... know what I'm asking spooky okay! I just got back and instead of dropping in to take up my shifts again I'm asking for time off. I get that it looks bad..." He sounds frustrated as he paces before his whole demeanor softens "I'm okay Bruce, the fight took a lot out of me this time and then I came back to a family emergency... It's all good, I'm sorting it out.... No Bruce, it's not anything to do with money but thank you for offering... I know it's not much to you but it still means a lot to me... Thanks Bruce. Why is everyone running around like headless chickens anyway?... Oh. If you ask me I think Paris looks better like this... I'll have you know that I have <strong>everything</strong> against Paris, I've only met ONE decent person from there Spooky." He spots her in the doorway and sticks his tongue out. More sparks of amusement dance around the raging fires in her chest. "I gotta go Spooky, thanks again for covering for me.Don't forget to say bye to the kids for me!" He says before he hangs up.</p><p>"... Who was that?" She asks as she pads into the room.</p><p>"Oh, a work friend." She raises a disbelieving eyebrow making him huff, his cheeks color just a tad. "Anyway! I have a something for you." He hands a a stack of papers, she flicks through them in confusion until she hits the last page. It was the signed adoption papers for May Jordan, daughter of Hal Jordan. She looks up at him with tears building in her eyes. "It just needs your signature to be official... if that's what you want of course. I promised to protect you after all so I just thought that..." </p><p>She cuts him off with a hug. "Yes."</p><p>"Really?" he asks quietly.</p><p>"Yes, I will be your daughter." She confirms with a small smile</p><p>"Awesome! I'll get you a pen!" He says excitedly and runs around trying to find a pen. </p><p>Dex-Starr pads up to her and gives her a knowing look then purrs when she huffs. The lava still pools in her lungs while fire pulses around her veins but she's more okay than she has been in years.</p><hr/><p>They spend three weeks getting used to each other. Hal isn't used to having smaller beings depending on him for a healthy life style and May isn't used to humans caring about her. The first week is just them stepping on each others toes but they settle. Hal's not allowed in her room and she's not allowed to set random pieces of furniture on fire because she stubbed her toe. </p><p>It's peaceful, which is why she's so annoyed that the fucking Justice League are ruining it. Superman had decided that Hal had enough time off, completely stepping over Batman (who was Hal's main point of contact in the League) and demanding that he come in. Mayhem wasn't going to let this fucking asshole bully her father so when Hal had asked if she was okay staying by herself in his apartment (this would be the first time she was without him) she said no. Which is how she ended up standing in front of her mirror glaring at her outfit (<a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/709105903806662445/">Top</a>, <a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/679128818787035985/">Bottoms</a>) while applying her <a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/314126142768072784/">lipstick</a>.</p><p>"May! Are you ready?" Hal calls from the other room, she looks herself over then sighs. There is nothing else she can do to stall.</p><p>She walks into the front room where Hal stands with his keys. "I'm ready, are you coming Dex-Starr?" she asks, Dex-Starr decided that he would rather pretend to be a loaf of bread. She doesn't blame him at all. "Okay, love you." Dex-Starr gives her a loud purr but doesn't move.</p><p>"So do I Dex, protect the apartment for us." Hal calls out as they leave.</p><p>The Zeta-Tube is quite close to their apartment so they only really spend 10 minutes in the car, enough time for Hal to repeat his rules for allowing her to go to the Justice League. </p><p>
  <strong>No setting anyone on fire if they don't attack first.</strong>
  <br/>
  <strong>No drenching anyone in lava if they don't attack first.</strong>
  <br/>
  <strong>No pushing people to attack her first.</strong>
</p><p>It limits her plan to protect him but doesn't stop it, Ladybug had been a well known tactical genius after all.</p><p>Hal neglected to mention that the Justice League headquarters was in space. "Welcome to the Watchtower May." Says Hal as he steps up to the window she was looking through, in the reflection she can see that he's donned his Green Lantern suit. She shoots a look at her disguised Red Lantern<a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/366480488432047925/"> ring</a> then meets his eyes again. "Not today." She nods and falls into step with him. The halls twist and turn but they still make it to the meeting room in good time, Green Lantern throws the doors open with a flourish. "You called?" He asks cheekily as he ushers her into the room, to the apparent horror of most of the adults.</p><p>"Green Lantern, who have you brought before us?" The woman with the dark hair and the golden tiara polite as he sits her next to a child who burns with cold rage. He immediately has 80% of her attention for this alone. Where she is an inferno of hell fire he is the violent icy winds of a deadly blizzard, somewhere deep in her soul she knows that he would be a good addition to her Lantern crops.</p><p>"This is May, my daughter. Super guy over there didn't give me time to find a babysitter so hear we are. On that note, what was so important that I had to rush over here before breakfast?" Green Lantern asks as he uses his ring to steal the mini sandwich plate, she steals a few when he offers it to her and makes sure to give one to the kid. He glares at her but takes the vegetarian one. It soothes a little of her fire until Superman opens his mouth.</p><p>"There is a Red Lantern on earth. Is it not <em>your job</em> to deal with them?" The bite in his tone as he addresses her father fuels an inferno. How fucking dare he speak to HER family like that! The boys cold, sharp eyes snap to her then the disguised ring on her finger as she slowly starts to heat up. In the corner of her eyes she sees the moment he connects her to the destruction of Paris, she expects fear but she gets respect instead. It shocks her so much that she's snapped out of her oncoming rage just in time for her father to address her.</p><p>"Remember the rules May." She turns a light glare on him, he raises an eyebrow. "I can and will take you right back home young lady."</p><p>"Would that mean we could leave this boring meeting early?" She asks in her most cheery voice, the little boys freezing, swirling anger settles a bit. She thinks he might be fighting a laugh with the way his hands clench under the table.</p><p>He doesn't answer her, instead turning to Superman. "Actually there are <em>two</em> Red Lanterns on earth, I'm dealing with it. Anything else?" </p><p>Superman glares and opens is mouth, she's detracted from what ever bullshit he's saying by the boy. She gets a very sudden drop in temperature from him, his freezing winds whipping around them in fury and pain. She looks over and sees that he's getting a phone call from his grandfather. Another icy blast has her standing and (gently) dragging the boy from the room, her father sends her a questioning look so she smiles at him before the door shuts.</p><p>"Do you want me to answer that?" She asks.</p><p>"Tt, I'm not an infant who needs to be coddled." He hisses in his cold fury.</p><p>"You and I both know that you know who I am. I'm not asking if you <strong>need</strong> me to answer, I'm asking if you <strong>want</strong> me to answer." He looks her over then hands her the phone. "What's his name?"</p><p>"Ra's al Ghul." there is the bite of a challenge to that but she ignores it.</p><p>"And what is your name?" She asks.</p><p>"... Damian al Ghul-Wayne." Less of a challenge this time.</p><p>"Nice to meet to you, I'm May Jordan." She says before she answers the phone, she cuts the man on he other side off mid sentience. "I'm sorry but I'm afraid that this isn't your grandson Ra's. Why don't you and I have a <strong><em>chat</em></strong> instead?"</p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Bruce Wayne was sick of this meeting before it even started. Not only were all of his kids but Damian out but Alfred had fallen ill. Clark, seeming to know the exact moment to inconvenience him the most, had called a meeting at the watchtower with the added not that he had sidestepped Bruce completely and called Hal in. Bruce was left with little choice but to take Damian to the meeting in a borrowed domino mask or leave Hal to Clarks jealousy, something he refuses to do for...reasons. </p><p>He and Damian get there ten minutes before Hal and have to sit there through Clark complaining about him bringing Damian, it's not <strong>his fault</strong> that Clark gave him no time to find a babysitter (not that he'd ever say those words near Damian. Ever.). It is both a relief and a shock to see that Hal has the same problem. May Jordan is the very definition of angry teen but when Hal gives her the mini sandwich tray she makes sure that Damian eats to clearing all doubt about who her father is. It's what makes him trust her so when she tugs Damian out of the room he does nothing to stop it, something Hal seems to appreciate. He doesn't worry until Clark stops mid-rant and demands that Victor shows them the footage from outside the door.</p><hr/><p>May Jordan leans casually against the wall outside of the meeting room as she holds the Damian's phone to her ear listening to the old man on the other end spill all sorts of threats in his vain hope that it will get her to hand the phone over. She looks at Damian and makes the 'bla bla bla' gesture with the hand not holding the phone, she's highly pleased to see his lips quirk.</p><p>"Let me stop you there Ra's, as amusing as this is I'm not handing the phone over. We're supposed to be chatting, remember?"</p><p>"Amusing? You won't think I'm amusing when I tie you down and make you watch as I burn down everything you've ever known to the ground!"</p><p>She can't help but snort at that, likely extremely offending his poor old man sensibilities (not that she gives a fuck). "Been there, done that. Are you done yet?"</p><p>"Done yet? DONE YET?! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHO I AM LITTLE GIRL?! I AM RA'S AL GHUL! LEADER OF THE LEAGUE OFF SHADOWS! I HAVE..." </p><p>She blinks then cuts him off." Wait, the league of shadows? The guys after the miraculous box?"</p><p>The line goes dead for a moment. "... you know about the last miraculous box?" His tone of voice completely changes. Now it almost feels like a conversation between friends.</p><p>The smile slowly growing on her face screams vicious mockery as she purrs out the next bit. "The last box huh, well now that's just bad luck since I just destroyed it." Damian's looks at her with wide eyes and fondness explodes in her chest as, after a second, he bursts into delighted laughter.</p><p>"...What?" Ra's voice comes out in a deadly calm tone.</p><p>"Well a question was asked, you know. What would win, a miraculous or a Red Lantern ring? Turns out the answer is the Red Lantern ring." She says relishing in the shocked silence coming from the phone. "Speaking of being a Red Lantern, which I really am if you couldn't guess, I think it's my turn. So hear's how this is going to work Ra's al Ghul, head of the <em>shadow's league</em>. You are not going to contact Damian, you are not going to get anyone else to contact Damian. You are also not going to be conveniently in places that Damian is or I am going to have to come and find you and no one want me to have to go <em><strong>hunting</strong></em> do they? Don't answer, mostly because I kind of want you to break my new rules. It's been a few days since my last mass slaughter and dad doesn't want me to kill people who don't deserve it. Bye bye now!" She hangs up before he can speak and then adds her number to the phone before tossing it back to Damian. "Call me if he tires to call you again... and also to hang out, dad got this new game system installed but he sucks at playing it."</p><p>Damian, who has gotten his laughter under control and is now playing dead face again, looks her over before he puts his phone into his pocket. "Sure."</p><p>She smiles as she walks over and pushes the door open only to be suddenly trapped in a green bubble. She grips Damian protectively as seconds later Superman slams into the shield. </p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>She blinks at the rivers of burning rage she feels of her father. "You fucking dare attack MY DAUGHTER!" He roars as he tackles Superman into a wall where he uses large green fists to beat the shit out of him. Several of the people around the table jump up but they are stopped by Batman who brims with his own anger. "YOU!"<strong> *PUNCH*</strong> "WILL" <strong>*SLAM*</strong> "NOT" <strong>*TOSS INTO OTHER WALL*</strong> "TOUCH" <strong>*TABLE TO FACE*</strong> "HER!" <strong>*TOSS INTO ORIGINAL WALL*</strong>. By the time her father is done the room is recked. "I don't want to see any of you assholes until you get your shit together, not you Spooky, your cool. Are you alright May?" He asks as he comes over and pulls her into a hug.</p><p>"Yes dad, I'm fine." She says as she tenses then melts into it.</p><p>"... Father? Can I go play games at May's house?" Damian asks as the four of them make their way to the Zeta-Tube.</p><p>"Fine, I need to talk to Green Lantern anyway." She smirks at her fathers misstep but says nothing.</p>
<hr/><p>Dex-Starr meets them at the door with a loud purr, he seems to sense the same penitential in Damian that she did. That and Damian's first reaction to seeing him is to give him pets which Dex-Starr is a slut for so it's no surprise that she's left to setting up the game by herself.</p><p>Damian is... really bad, like in the 'I've never picked up a controller before and I have no idea what I'm doing' bad. It worries her because she knows that Bruce Wayne (who she found out was batman on the ride over, what the fuck?!) has other kids that still live with him and that he's rich. She also knows that Damian has been staying with his father for the past few months... the only reason he wouldn't know how to even use a controller was if no one included him. She buries the anger and teaches him herself only to regret it when he takes to Mario cart like a duckling to water. She's losing to a ten year old! How is she losing to a ten year old! This is the most embarrassing thing to happen to her in all of her sixteen years of life! Damian, the smug little asshole, is having a great time making her jump in her need to win. Soon they are both using their entire bodies to get their cars to move better. It doesn't help at all but it's fun.</p><p>The two Wayne's end up staying for dinner (Pizza, Hal couldn't be bothered to cook after everything that happened) and Damian gets to sleep over because Damian refused to leave and she refused to let him. Watching Damian trying to copy her one hand on controller and on hand on pizza technique was hilarious. They spend the whole weekend like this and by the end she's proud to say that Damian's blizzard had settled into a cool breeze. She knows he still has the potential to gain a ring of his own but as much as she wants him to join her she also wants him to live without the constant burn of anger. </p><p>On Monday, around lunch, someone knocks at their door. Her father gets it because they are both mid game, he lets whoever it is in so May doesn't worry until the stranger steps into the room. They only get a single step in before Damian pulls out his katana and points it at the strangers throat, he continues playing with the other hand so to make it fair she takes one of her hands off of her controller as well, just in case she has to do some quick Red Lantern summoning.</p>
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<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Really demon spawn?" The guys asks, he says some other stuff too but it drowned out by Damian's sudden full force arctic hell. Damian is angry, more angry then she's ever thought possible. He's also very embarrassed. </p><p>This won't do at all.</p><p>In seconds she's summoned a glowing red hand and choke slammed him into the floor at her feet. "Apologize." She says, not taking her eyes off of the T.V in front of her.</p><p>"What...? You... bitch!.....Let.... me.... go....!" The man chokes.</p><p>"May." Hal sighs. "Please let Jason up."</p><p>"When he apologizes to Damian for upsetting him." She replies.</p><p>"FUCK.....YOU..." Jason snarls, she tightens her hold.</p><p>"Do you not remember the rules May?" Hal asks, she not actually too worried because she can tell that he's not angry at all. He clearly felt Damian's reaction to Jason's little nick-name as much as she did.</p><p>"You mean the ones for when we're in the <em>watchtower?</em> Or the only rule we have here which is that I'm not allowed to set things on fire if I stub my toe?" She asks cheekily.</p><p>Damian has been watching the whole thing with wide eyes as his anger dissipated, she's pleased that her banter with Hal can calm him down.</p><p>"It's okay." He says softly. "It's just a silly nick-name. I'm fine."</p><p>"It's <strong>not</strong> fine because it <em><strong>hurt</strong> </em>you." She hisses, her own anger mounting as her protective instincts flare.</p><p>"He's my brother." Damian argues, she feels Jason freeze and stare at Damian with wide eyes. Shocked wonder killing the burning rage that had been growing in him.</p><p>"That just means that betrayal from him hurts you more." She argues back. "You can't just let them get away with shit like this, if you do then they'll just keep getting worse and worse. You need to draw your line in the sand and they need to know where it is." She explains, Hal nods from the doorway.</p><p>Damian looks at them both unsure. "But what if they use that against me? What if they purposefully cross the lines I've made?" He sounds so small and she hates it so she cups his face and makes him look at her.</p><p>"Then fuck them." She says bluntly making him blink. "If you tell them that you don't like something, really don't like it, and they do it anyway to spite you then they don't deserve your love or your loyalty. If they are willing to kick you while you're down then they don't deserve to be around you when you're standing tall. Okay?"</p><p>"<em>...okay...</em>" He whispers and she leans in and kisses his forehead.</p><p>"I'm sorry Damian." Jason says making her blink. Oh wow, she'd completely forgotten that he was there. "It was a joke and you didn't react so I thought it was fine."</p><p>"It was fine." Damian grumbled.</p><p>"It wasn't" She and Jason say at the same time. She gains a little bit of respect for him for that.</p><p>Damian doesn't reply but he's not angry so she counts it as a win. "Well." Hal says as he walks fully into the room. "Now that, that's done why don't you tell us why you're here Jason?" </p><p>"I'm here to help you pack. Gotham Academy starts up again tomorrow."</p><p>Hal blinks then narrows his eyes. "And why would <strong><em>we</em> </strong>need to pack for <strong><em>Damian's</em> </strong>school starting up?"</p><p>Jason looks shocked then annoyed. "Because Bruce enrolled May there on your behalf. I thought you knew."</p><p>Hal takes a calming breath then pulls out his phone and walks back into the kitchen. "Make yourself at home Jason. This is going to take a while." He calls out. A second later they hear him snarl. "What that FUCK BRUCE!"</p><p>She looks between the two Waynes before pulling out another controller. "Mario party?" </p>
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  <b class="heading">Works inspired by this one:</b>
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        <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27728833">repressed rage</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/riceload/pseuds/riceload">riceload</a>
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